The unofficial web page of the greater Cuenca expat community

MikeGB wrote:

mugtech wrote:

Folks mentioned it was 57F in their bedrooms upon waking up in the morning in July.

Yowww!!! That's a bit cold (inside) for me. God forbid if the power goes out. I wouldn't want to get out of bed!

Seriously though, why not move to a warmer place like Cumbaya? Is Cumbaya not a desirable place to live?

If not Cumbaya, perhaps another place but not at sea level as that is a bit too warm. Boy am I being picky!!!!

Exactly why many expats choose to live at the beach. How did Cumbaya get on your radar, anyway?

Nards Barley wrote:

Exactly why many expats choose to live at the beach. How did Cumbaya get on your radar, anyway?

They have a nice theme song, very friendly

He watches South Park?????

We are loving this weather! After the Florida heat..... this is heavenly!! No heaters for us...if we do get chilly, we put on another layer.

mappam wrote:

We are loving this weather! After the Florida heat..... this is heavenly!! No heaters for us...if we do get chilly, we put on another layer.

That is the spirit!

Nards Barley wrote:

mappam wrote:

We are loving this weather! After the Florida heat..... this is heavenly!! No heaters for us...if we do get chilly, we put on another layer.

That is the spirit!

Having a Cuenca day here in Bethlehem, PA, as it was 40F overnight but now the sun is shining and we will be in the 70's today.  Have not kicked in the heating system yet, but living in a townhouse meant it was not too cool when I got up at 6AM.  A little cool in the morning helps get me started, I like the idea.

mappam wrote:

We are loving this weather! After the Florida heat..... this is heavenly!! No heaters for us...if we do get chilly, we put on another layer.

Having a spouse helps.

A common design feature of many older apartments I have been inside in Cuenca  is a light shaft through the center of the building.  It creates an in interesting effect since you can often look above or below you and see your neighbors laundry hanging inside their window or outside their window inside the light shaft.

I call my little villa "the bunker" because it is basically built into a side of a hill and has no windows on either the side walls or the back wall.  This has its obvious disadvantages, but an advantage is I only have to defend the front perimeter against intruders.

However, the lack of windows is compensated for by the presence of a light shaft at the back of the bunker that starts in the laundry room and goes all the way to the top of the roof.

Here is a photo looking up through the shaft. The first window is my sleeping quarters and that is its only window. While most expats have views of the caja mountains or "Mirador de Turi", or the main cathedral in downtown, I have a view of my laundry hanging.

The next window is from the martial arts training center which has has a sliding door that leads out to a guard tower of about 100 square feet.

I went deep into the bowels of Gringolandia this week to look for mirrors and toilet paper holders at a store called Home Vega. I am not sure, but I think it might be correct to say that store is located at the outer perimeter of Gringolandia since we are beyond the Palmero and this building under construction which I think they call RiverSide.



While I could be wrong, I think this will be the first highrise condo development in Cuenca that has a swimmming pool.

What I find particularly interesting is the balconies and the metal handrails.  The lowest balcony in that photo shows the first one where they have added the handrails.

P.S. Does anyone know of a store similar to Home Vega that sells mirrors and toilet paperholders closer to downtown?

P.S. Does anyone know of a store similar to Home Vega that sells mirrors and toilet paperholders closer to downtown?

Have you tried the Kiwi near the airport (same building as SuperMaxi)  Also, just down the street there is another store called  (I think) Mega Hierro.  It's right across from the Salesian University

Mike

I know that high rise well that in the construction faze. I was at Home Vega yesterday to pick up the stone for my fireplace surround. I got one set of bathroom hangers there, and the rest I got at: Macenes Boyacá. If you know where the Totems are, it's a block away to the East, at av. Remigo Crespo Y E.
They are not the cheapest on some things, others reasonable. They have some sheets at a reasonable price. Towels were pricy.
As far as a bathroom mirror, I found a very nice one at Coral. They had a pretty large selection. Two of my baths I had medicine cabinets made, with mirrors, but my half bath I needed one for.
Dude, if you are so close to my shack..... stop in!!!
Good Luck in making your new place Home!
Stay Well,
Neil
Ps. sorry... not down town as you asked.

ZenSPIKE wrote:

I know that high rise well that in the construction faze. I was at Home Vega yesterday to pick up the stone for my fireplace surround. I got one set of bathroom hangers there, and the rest I got at: Macenes Boyacá. If you know where the Totems are, it's a block away to the East, at av. Remigo Crespo Y E.
They are not the cheapest on some things, others reasonable. They have some sheets at a reasonable price. Towels were pricy.
As far as a bathroom mirror, I found a very nice one at Coral. They had a pretty large selection. Two of my baths I had medicine cabinets made, with mirrors, but my half bath I needed one for.
Dude, if you are so close to my shack..... stop in!!!
Good Luck in making your new place Home!
Stay Well,
Neil
Ps. sorry... not down town as you asked.

Thanks, Macenes Boyaca is definitely closer, so I will stop there for comparison.

I am surprised you found a mirror at Corral. Didn't you get one with a light attached?

Crap, I have completely forgotten there is such a thing as a medicine cabinet, since I haven't had one since living in Cuenca.  I don't think I have the wall space for one.  I have 3.5 baths, none with bathtubs, very little sink surface area. 

I almost stopped in. I wasn't sure if the guard would know who "Neil" is, however. While I took the bus to Home Vega, I walked all the way home from Home Vega, first stopping at Fabianos to eat.

quito0819 wrote:

Have you tried the Kiwi near the airport (same building as SuperMaxi)  Also, just down the street there is another store called  (I think) Mega Hierro.  It's right across from the Salesian University

Mike

Thanks. I have been wanting to go to Kiwi for something. The only thing stopping me is figuring out which bus to take and where it is located.

However, my Google search turned it up:

http://www.kywi.com.ec/kywi-cc-multiplaza-miraflores

I made the front page of the Grinto Post today:

Electric security fence

I am looking to have an electric security fence installed at my house. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who can give me a recommendation and any advice. Please email

Nards Barley: nardsbarley@gmail.com

..............................

Cage or grill to hang garbage from fence

I need to install one of those metal grills or cages to hang my garbage from the fence. Does anyone have a recommendations or advice on where I can get one? Please email

Nards Barley: nardsbarley@gmail.com

Nards,
I'm pretty sure it was Corral for the mirror.< no light > I have very limited bathroom space also. The carpenter that did all the cabinet work did the 2 I had made.  One was a corner unit, that fit where the 2 walls meet.  Also, because I have very limited space on my sink area, I had glass shelves installed by the same cabinet maker. Could have just as well been granite or wood. Very reasonably priced.
The guards know me by name. Also, there is one of those call box deals at the door. Rings in my joint. Apartment 104. It will show my name on the read out. But, the guards are always there, and they'll get you in.
Good Luck in you search for the fencing and the trash holder.
Cha Cha,
Neil

Good luck Nards on your electric fence and hanging garbage.
The connection to Gringo Post brought up an interesting ad by Ricardo and Susan Correa, Medicare Consultants, who claim you can get free medicare coverage plus get up to $99.90 in cash every month.  Neil, this sounds too good to be true for you, better check it out.  What could go wrong?

ZenSPIKE wrote:

Nards,

The guards know me by name.

Neil

Neil,

Perhaps the security guard was simply doing his job and keeping that scary lookin' gringo away from your door!!!

   Carlos  aka "ElGringoComediano"

PS  'nuff said?

Sir Nards didn't come to my building, he was only in the neighborhood.
Stay Well,
Neil

I am pleased to announce my Continental, 14 liter, tankless water heater is now working well, and I am not really missing those big boilers in the basement of my old building anymore.

Turns out the pressure release valve needed adjusting and I found an ace plumber who immediately recognized the problem. The plumber who installed the water heater initially didn't have a clue, and wanted to install a pressure regulator on the water line I think. I was charged $15 for the visit by the plumber for about a 15 minutes of work.  That may be gringo pricing, but it was well worth it.

Dang, yer cookin' with gas now! Hot water on demand is nice.
AND.... Look at that shiny new tank!

I bought a used 10 inch Samsung tablet from Amazon.com's warehouse store for $143 a couple months ago and had it sent here via Club Correos for $20. Basically, I did it as a favor for a local who wanted a 10 inch tablet but couldn't afford to pay $500 to $600 for a new one here in Cuenca. I have had good success with buying used products from Amazon.com in the past so I wasn't worried.

I charged him $160 for it which cover the shipping here as well. Well two days later he shows me that there is a problem with the screen. I immediately file a claim and send it back to Amazon.com using regular mail with tracking at a cost around $35. Amazon.com told me it has to receive the package within two weeks in order for the claim to be valid. I sent the package on August 30th and on September 18th they sent me an email telling me that they had received the package and that they were processing the claim. I lost the tracking number so I can't say what the exact day it was delivered to Amazon.com. It could be they received a few days after the 15 day return period.

In any case, I am out $55 on the whole deal but pleased Amazon.com processed my refund. I told my friend if he wants to try again, he needs to assume the risk on shipping and returning it, and give me the cash upfront.

ZenSPIKE wrote:

Dang, yer cookin' with gas now! Hot water on demand is nice.
AND.... Look at that shiny new tank!

I get to enjoy that new tank until the gas runs out and then I have to exchange it for a banged up one. Fortunately I don't have to look at it much since it is in the storage area beneath the entry staircase.

No, Nards, that was a fair price (which includes travelling to your bunker).

quito0819 wrote:

No, Nards, that was a fair price (which includes travelling to your bunker).

Good point.  It was the best $15 dollars I have spent in a while, so no complaints. The installation of the water tank took about an hour+ and cost me $25, from the first plumber. That too would have been a good deal if I didn't have any subsequent problems.

Nards Barley wrote:

quito0819 wrote:

No, Nards, that was a fair price (which includes travelling to your bunker).

Good point.  It was the best $15 dollars I have spent in a while, so no complaints. The installation of the water tank took about an hour+ and cost me $25, from the first plumber. That too would have been a good deal if I didn't have any subsequent problems.

Cost of instalation = $40
Hot water to bathe = Priceless

I was amazed when I first saw what they use for gas hoses here. In the US you have to have that stainless braided line, here it's just a rubber hose. But.... they definitely have some cool  connectors/ disconnects.
R U going to get a spare tank so you're not caught out in the cold? Do they make a gauge that ACCURATLEY indicates the level in the tank? I had some on my grills in the US, but they were not to be trusted. I always had a spare tank on hand. Even if a guy purchased a small one here to bid you over until the gas truck rolls by might not be a bad idea. The smaller ones are a lot cheaper to purchase.
Just a thought.

ZenSPIKE wrote:

I was amazed when I first saw what they use for gas hoses here. In the US you have to have that stainless braided line, here it's just a rubber hose. But.... they definitely have some cool  connectors/ disconnects.
R U going to get a spare tank so you're not caught out in the cold? Do they make a gauge that ACCURATLEY indicates the level in the tank? I had some on my grills in the US, but they were not to be trusted. I always had a spare tank on hand. Even if a guy purchased a small one here to bid you over until the gas truck rolls by might not be a bad idea. The smaller ones are a lot cheaper to purchase.
Just a thought.

The other day when the hot water tank wouldn't even light, I thought maybe I had used up all of the gas. There is a gas truck that passes every day. I stopped the guy to ask him if he had a gauge to check my tank but he did not. I went to Corral to see if they sold a tool to check the tank, but they did not.  Apparently gauges exist, but I have yet to find one. When the plumber guy comes next time to hook up the fridge water line and gas stove line, I will ask him.  I was going to try and connect the stove line myself, but my mini wrench I brought from the U.S. couldn't budge the square bolt that is currently in the wall.

I received an interesting response from my Gringo Tree post about a garbage hanging cage. Most people seem to think I need to go to a private business and order one custom made.

Go to the Municipio in el Centro and request they install one for you. I think the office is near the park, but I'm not sure. Just ask somebody when you get to Parque de Calderon across from the main church.

Makes sense to me. They all look exactly the same, and it is the city trash crews that do the pick up. Just like in my city of Minneapolis, the city supplies your trash containers.
Good Luck

Anyone want to buy a villa in "the badlands" and be my neighbor? The reason I ask is the neighbor told me their unit is for sale. It is actually better than mine, or if you prefer, less worse than mine, because it is on the corner, it is bigger, and receives morning easterly sun. I am going to be pissed if I found out my real agent knew it was for sale.

Come on Frugals! You can invite me over for lasagna once a week if you buy it.

Cuenca highlife reposted an entire article from Business Week (in violation of journalistic standards by the way) about how Chevron won an arbitration case in the Hague.

Considering that Cuenca Highlife wore their bias on their sleeve months ago when they re-printed an entire article from Huffington Post written by a spokesman for the plaintiff, and then defended the article as being accurate in an email to me, I took the opportunity to rub in the arbitration ruling with the following email to them:

A crushing blow for the editors of Cuenca Highlife, I am sure.

Nards Barley wrote:

A crushing blow for the editors of Cuenca Highlife, I am sure.

Way to keep on the case of those pseudo journalists.

Nards Barley wrote:

Cuenca highlife reposted an entire article from Business Week (in violation of journalistic standards by the way) about how Chevron won an arbitration case in the Hague.

I saw one a couple weeks ago that was a complete repost of an article from The Economist. They are shameless plagiarists.

The Chevron case still has lots more twists and turns in it, I'm sure -- this Hague decision is not the final nail in the coffin. But Chevron is winning most of the battles thus far.

I've been following it, and it's fascinating stuff.

On 9/11/13 Edd Said: "Hopefully this consistently miserable weather we've been having the past three months will be out of here by October"  Someone asked him why he doesn't move to a nicer place weather-wise like Cumbaya.  Edd Said he was not complaining about Cuenca weather, it is usually great, just a bad winter this year.  He also Said he would never live in Cumbaya, too much like an American (by which he means USA) suburb.

In a previous non-bitch session he told the story of the water in his building being turned off Sunday morning, and when none was available Monday morning he went to the water folks and found out that because the landlord owed $2.36 on the bill for the building, they shut it down.  Edd reminded us that it takes an extraordinary amount of patience to live in Ecuador.

Just realized I have obtained the lofty status of E.B. Member +
Gonna have to update my resume.

I always considered you an E.B+ kinda guy. Did you get your Gold KeyBoard yet?
Stay Well,
Nags

mugtech wrote:

Just realized I have obtained the lofty status of E.B. Member+.

Congratulations. Does this mean you buy the next round?

BobH wrote:

mugtech wrote:

Just realized I have obtained the lofty status of E.B. Member+.

Congratulations. Does this mean you buy the next round?

Yes, here in Bethlehem

mugtech wrote:

On 9/11/13 Edd Said: "Hopefully this consistently miserable weather we've been having the past three months will be out of here by October"  Someone asked him why he doesn't move to a nicer place weather-wise like Cumbaya.  Edd Said he was not complaining about Cuenca weather, it is usually great, just a bad winter this year.  He also Said he would never live in Cumbaya, too much like an American (by which he means USA) suburb.

In a previous non-bitch session he told the story of the water in his building being turned off Sunday morning, and when none was available Monday morning he went to the water folks and found out that because the landlord owed $2.36 on the bill for the building, they shut it down.  Edd reminded us that it takes an extraordinary amount of patience to live in Ecuador.

Just realized I have obtained the lofty status of E.B. Member +
Gonna have to update my resume.

I think you are probably the first person on Expat.coms.com to do that while never stepping out of the U.S. Maybe Julian (the founder) can confirm that for us.

Hmmm. If Said got a question on Cumbaya, it must have been from MikeGB who never responded to my question on how Cumbaya got on his radar. I think it is because Expatblog contributor SarahP lives there and has spoken highly of it.

Speaking of Said buddy, I was thinking of asking him to massage those monthly international living numbers downward some more, and to offer my services in helping recruit baby boomers to Cuenca. I think I overpaid for the bunker, so I need some more Gringo inflation to cover my losses.

Zenspike,

What did you do about a desk for your place, if anything?

I want a simple wood desk.  I had found the perfect desk months ago in a furniture store, but they went out of business. I am going to check out creacion muebles one of these days. They have a nice wood desk on their website.

Nards Barley wrote:

I think you are probably the first person on Expat.coms.com to do that while never stepping out of the U.S. Maybe Julian (the founder) can confirm that for us.

Yes, that uniqueness would really spruce up my resume.  I also post on the USA and Philippines Expat.coms, and I will be attending IL's 5th favorite place to retire, The Philippines, next year.  I have been to the Bahamas and the Caribbean since starting to post on here, but that was just fun, not searching for a place to live.